Keeping Eva
by RedSkyInTheMorning
Summary: Eva Harris: Independent, headstrong, impulsive. She's just trying to get by. Victor Benedict: Cautious, calculated, stubborn. He's looking for his Soulfinder. They're a perfect match, so why does it feel like the universe made a terrible mistake?


**AN: First time posting, so go easy on me. I'm uploading as I write so chapters might be few and far between. Leave me a review if you would like, constructive criticism is always welcome. I don't own Finding Sky or any characters mentioned in Joss Stirling's books. Thanks :)**

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Chapter 1

 _ **When it rains, it pours.**_

My foot tapped impatiently on the worn carpet of the taxi floor, eyes constantly flicking between the clock on the dashboard and the seemingly endless line of traffic out the front window. At this rate, I'd probably be better of walking. I was supposed to be arriving at work right about now; I'd sent a quick text to Pippa – a fellow waitress and one of the only people I actually liked in that hellhole – telling her I'd get there as soon as I could and to cover for me in the mean time but it was only a matter of time before Jack realised I was missing. I'd be lucky if I still had a job by the end of the night.

"Damn Christmas traffic," the surly driver muttered, flicking through the radio stations as we slowly inched forward "Everybody acting like they have somewhere to be." I ignored his comment, focusing my attention at the buildings outside the window. He turned a corner, pulling away from one line of cars to join the end of another, and I caught a sight of my destination.

"I'll get out here." I said quickly, rummaging around in my bag to find my purse. "How much do I owe you?"

"$12.35" I handed over my last $10 and tipped whatever change I had left in my purse into his hand.

"That should be enough. Thanks for the ride." I stepped out onto the cold street, shutting the door and swinging my bag over my shoulder. My stupid uniform did nothing to ward off the cold, so I wrapped my coat tightly around me as I ran the rest of the way, trying not to slip over on the layer of snow and ice that covered the pavement.

I finally made it to the building and was blasted with wonderfully warm air as I stepped inside. I was no stranger to this place and headed straight to the front desk, already rifling through my purse for my ID.

"Welcome to Denver Police Department, what can I do for you?" The woman behind the desk was short and round and looked as though she wanted to be there about as much as I did.

"I'm here to pick someone up. Ezekiel Harris." Her fingernails were painted the same bright red as her lipstick and they flew across the keyboard in front of her with expert precision.

"What's your name?"

"Eva Harris."

"Do you have ID with you?" I handed it over and glanced at the clock on the wall. 30 minutes late. Her eyes flicked between me and my ID before she handed it back, getting up from her seat and gesturing for me to follow. We headed to a door on the far side of the room; with a swipe of her card, she pushed the door open and I followed her inside.

I spotted Zeke straight away. He was slumped in one of the many chairs, trying his best to look like a delinquent teen with a grudge against the world. It might have worked if I didn't know him so well – one look at his face told me he was wishing he was anywhere but here.

There were two other men in the room with him; one wore a crisp black police uniform, the other a sleek black suit. They both turned to look at us as we entered.

"Eva Harris is here for collection."

"Thank you, Edith, I'll take it from here." She gave a curt nod and left the room shutting the door firmly behind her.

My eyes moved back to Zeke as I made my way over to the men; he at least had the decency to look ashamed. We were going to have a long talk about all of this when I had the time. I turned my attention back to the two men, stopping in front of the policeman.

"You must be Officer Benedict? We spoke earlier on the phone."

"Yes, it's nice to meet you." He held out his hand and I shook it briefly.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, I'm sure you have better things to be doing on other than looking after my brother."

"It's not a problem, I'm just doing my job." He held out a clipboard and a pen. "If you can just sign this, then he's free to go." I took the pen and hastily scribbled my signature before handing it back. "He got off easy this time but he won't always be that lucky; just try and make sure he stays on the right path."

"Don't worry Officer, he and I will be having a good, long talk about his life choices later on. Get over here, Zeke." He let out a huff of annoyance but didn't bother arguing, moving to stand next to me.

"I'm sorry again, Officer, for wasting so much of your time." I turned to Zeke expectantly, but he was too busy staring at the floor to notice my look.

"Apologise." I told him.

"I'm not going to-"

"Apologise."I cut him off, leaving no room for argument.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled. Good enough.

"Is that everything, Officer Benedict?" I asked, trying my best not to sound rude but desperate to get out of this place.

I spared a quick glance at the other man; he was still stood next to Officer Benedict but had remained quiet throughout our conversation. I saw him give me a once-over, a look of distaste in his eyes as he took in my short black skirt and t-shirt. I didn't spend my time suffering through wearing this stupid uniform to be judge by assholes like him; I wrapped my coat tightly around me, thankful that the thick fabric reached down to my knees. His eyes caught the movement and moved up to meet mine – I gave him my best glare before returning my gaze back to the officer.

"That's everything. I'll let you out." He swiped his badge and pulled open the door, letting us back out into the reception area. I gave him one last smile and then practically pulled Zeke along, muttering a brief 'thank you' to Edith as we passed. Once we were safely outside, I turned on him, ready to give him a piece of my mind now that we were away from prying eyes.

"Are you crazy?" I asked, ignoring the curious stares of a small family that had just passed by. "The police station? Again?"

"I don't want to talk about it." He replied, kicking at the snow on the ground and once again refusing to meet my eyes.

"You don't want to talk about it?! Well I don't want to be here, bailing you out for the second time this month!"

"I didn't ask you to come and get me."

"It's not like I had a choice. Do you want to go to prison? Is that it? Because you keep pushing your luck and one day-"

"I don't need a lecture from you, ok?!" He snapped, running a hand through his hair. "I get enough of them from mom. Lets just go."

The door to the police station swung open and the jackass from earlier stepped outside, pushing his hands into the pockets of his dark coat. Our eyes met as he made his way down the steps, stopping a few meters away and leaning back against the wall. I looked away first, stepping closer to my brother.

"But they don't seem to be working, do they?" I asked, my anger slowly ebbing away as I looked at him. He was taller than me now, had been for a few years, but he would always be my baby brother. It was my job to look out for him. "I'm missing work to be here, Zeke. We both know I need this job, I can't keep skipping out to come and get you. I'll take you home but then I've got to go."

"I can get home myself."

"Can I trust you to do that?" He gave me a look and I held my hands up in defeat.

"Fine. But I'm calling mom in an hour and you better be there." I sighed. "I don't have any money, you'll have to walk…"

"It's fine, E. I'll see you later." He moved to walk past me but I reached out, wrapping one of his cold hands in my own.

"Be good."

He nodded and then pulled away. I watched him until he rounded the corner and then let out a defeated sigh. This night had barely even started and it already felt like it had been going on forever. I turned around, ready to make a desperate sprint to work, and found that suit guy's eyes were still on me. What was this guys problem? He was really starting to get on my last nerve.

I hitched my bag up further on my shoulder, pulled my coat tighter, and stormed past him.

"Take a picture, Jackass."


End file.
